Are You Being Served?
Who doesn’t just love the delights of a traditional department store? There’s something for everyone. These shops dominated town centres across the UK from as early as 1796, when it is reputed the world’s very first ‘one-stop-shop’ was opened in London, selling haberdashery, millinery, jewellery and clocks. Many of these stores were established by drapers […]
Hospitality Down the Ages
‘Hospitality’ may feel like a reasonably modern term in the sense of going out to enjoy a drink, a meal or entertainment, but it has its roots firmly in ancient history. During the age of early travel and the development of trade routes across the north of Scotland, local inns offered primitive rooms with stable […]
The Father of Scottish Tourism
Speyside Business Centre is a reasonably new addition to Fochabers’ environs, particularly in comparison to some of the fine historic buildings which make up this distinctive 18th Century planned village. Although its features have a more modern architectural character, the Business Centre can boast an interesting past due to the grounds it stands in. This […]
All Singing, All Dancing
While the 19th Century brought a flood of formal banking houses, ‘tippling houses’ and ever-increasing shop premises within the centre, it was felt that respectable Elgin Society needed a special meeting point for celebrating grand occasions in veritable style. The formidable Assembly Rooms building was situated at the top end of North Street, opposite the […]
Banking on Us
Similar to Elchies House which formerly stood on the site of the Caledonian Bank (which currently houses one of our serviced business centres) at the west end of the High Street, the 17th Century ‘Braco Banking House’ became home to a well-to-do family, the Duffs, who started the lucrative business of lending money to estate […]
Sophistication Comes to Elgin
There are still many families who will remember visiting the very stylish Park House Hotel & Restaurant at some point in their lives … that includes one of our team here at Gairland. Coming from a busy farming background, eating out was definitely not a regular occurrence for the family in the 1970s, but she […]
A Touch of Italian Style
With industrialisation, the growth of a decent railway network and busy sea trading with Europe and the rest of the country, Moray experienced a boom period during the 19th Century with a strong focus on urban development. The medieval settlement of Elgin was fast becoming a much bigger conurbation, spreading over to the once separate […]
Homes to the Gentry
Moray was prospering in the early 19th Century with wealthy landowners and merchants choosing to build prestigious homes slightly out of the town centre, where the increase in banks, shops and hostelries did not constitute a peaceful way of life. The back closes remained home to poorer families trying to make a living as best […]
Early Entrepreneurship in Moray
Throughout history, Moray has stimulated a strong sense of entrepreneurship and innovation. People often made their living working for family businesses, many of which were established as a result of Moray’s fertile agricultural land … from food, drink and textiles, Moray has been a manufacturing powerhouse for centuries, with Elgin becoming a strong focal point. […]
Preserving Our Past
One way of acknowledging the importance of the past is by preserving historic buildings and structures. It is worth taking care of them for various reasons. They may be an example of a particular style of architecture, or represent a significant era, or a milestone in the town’s history. Keeping this history alive for future […]